Brawley, CA Earthquake, Mar 1930

Major Shocks at Bromley [sic] Shook Down Cornices And Copings And Cracked Masonry

(By Associated Press)

Brawley, Calif., March 3 - With damage estimates raning as high as $100,000 in Brawley, this Imperial Valley section yesterday still was quivering as earthquake shocks which started Saturday afternoon continued in moderated intensity.

While most of the tremors have been slight since late Saturday night, a few yesterday were very noticeable. No further damage, however, has been reported since Saturday afternoon when major shocks shook down cornices and copings, broke windows, cracked masonry and bounced automobiles like rubber balls.

Mrs. E. C. Dunham of Brawley, was seriously injured when struck by falling debris but will recover. Several cases of minor bruises were reported.

Ropes closing off thoroughfares in the business district were removed yesterday and despite and occasional shake traffic was near normal. Firemen and police inspected buildings, reporting little danger providing there is no reoccurrence of heavy jolts. All but two of the hotels in Brawley remained closed as a precautionary measure. An inspection indicated they might be unsafe in the event of further heavy earth shocks.

Several hundred persons, thus deprived of sleeping quarters, even had they desired to make use of them collected on street corners and in the lobbies of the two hotels still open. Many of them spent the night in the open.

The quakes did not affect the street lighting system and every downtown street was illuminated.